On Saturday, February 26, 2021, competitors from all around the state came to strut their stuff in the Ryan Hawks Memorial IFSA Junior Regional 2* held at Mad River Glen. Under sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-20s with packed powder snow conditions, 97 skiers made their case to the judges on Lift Line. Competitors came from Okemo, Smugglers Notch, Green Mountain Academy, Jay Peak and Sugarbush and put on a show for those lucky enough to catch a glimpse from the Single Chair.
These junior athletes were all competing for points that count toward a national ranking with the hopes of being invited to the North American Championships (NORAMS) next season. This year, due to COVID-19 there will be no NORAMS so points accrued this year will count toward next season's rankings.
Competitors are judged based on five categories: line choice, control, technique, fluidity, style and energy. Competition groups are based on age and gender; U12, 12-14 and 15-18 for both male and female skiers.
On Thursday, March 4, the Mad River Glen Freeski Team will travel to Smugglers Notch for another International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association (IFSA) sanctioned regional. The competitive season will wrap up on Friday, March 12, as Sugarbush hosts its first IFSA sanctioned event.
Check out the IFSA website for more information about competitive freeskiing and how to become involved. https://www.freeskiers.org/about/about-the-ifsa.html.
U12 Female Finishers: First place, Tara Nagle, Mad River Glen Freeski Team; second place Addison Brooks, Mad River Glen Freeski Team; third place, Minna Kottke, Mad River Glen Freeski Team.
U12 Male Finishers: First place, Jack Lacey, Mad River Glen Freeski Team; second place Ryan Lacey, Mad River Glen Freeski Team; third place Evers Gladchun, Mad River Glen Freeski Team.
12-14 Female Finishers: 1st place, Lynsey Nagle, Mad River Glen Freeski Team; second place, Madeline Liberman, Mad River Glen Freeski Team; third place, Estella Laird, Mad River Glen Freeski Team.
12-14 Male Finishers: First place Ryan Nagle, Mad River Glen Freeski Team; second place, Griffin Larson, Smugglers Notch Freeski Team; third place Matthew Fiaschetti, Mad River Glen Freeski Team.
15-18 Female Finishers: First place, Megan Martin, Mad River Glen Freeski Team; second place, Sophia Bisbee, Mad River Glen Freeski Team; third place, Irian Adii, Smugglers' Notch Freeski Team.
15-18 Male Finishers: First place, Owen Deale, Mad River Glen Freeski Team; second place, Benjamin Lyster, Smugglers Notch Freeski Team; third place, Thomas White, Smugglers Notch Freeski Team.
Registration for the Sugarbush is open: https://www.freeskiers.org/events/ifsa-junior-events/event/1050-2021-sugarbush-freeski-challege-ifsa-junior-regional-2.html.
